Bean-snipping machine



Sept. 4, 1928. 1,683,024

Q. cLxMER BEAN SNI PPING MACHINE Filed July 50, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

. 10 QM; M7

B 5V www? ATTORNEYS Sept. 4, 1928.

Q. CLIMER BEAN SNIPPING MACHINE Filed July 50, ).927

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Z iNvENTl BY @MWI ATTORNEYS lidstaat-ed Sept. 4, 1928.

STATES 1,683,024 earner orrics.

QUINBY CLIMER, OF CHILLICOTHE, OHO, ASSIGNOR OF ONEfHLF TO CHARLES 1W. HAYNES, OF CHILLICOTHE, OHIO.

BEAN-SNIPPING yMACIl'rIltNli..

Application filed .Tuly 30,

rlhis invention.' relates to machines for snipping or cutting the ends ott of string beans 'ncparatei'y to cooking, and relates more particularly to machines in which the beans a re carried in the buckets ot a conveyor (which may be of the flexible'type running over sprockets, rollers, or the like, or ot the rigid type on a wheel or drum) past a cutter which cuts ott the laterally protruding ends of the beans. The beans may be caused to protrude -from the open sides ot the buckets in various ways as tor example by tilting the conveyor so that the beans move o utwardly b v gravity, or by means ot suct-ion exerted at a convenient point in the travel of the conveyor. The present invention is designed to improve machines of the conveyor type in the direction 'oit simplicity and effectiveness, and to this and other ends the invent-ion comprises the novel features and combinations hereinafter described.

In carrying out the invention in the pret'ei-red manner suction is employed to shift the beans transversely ot the conveyor into r position to cooperate with the cutting or snipping means. The suction yis appliefl through what is known as a suction box arranged alongside ot the conveyor, so that as the beans are carried past the box thev strong current ot air entering the latter will draw them partly out ot the laterally open conveyor bucket-s or receptacles. In priorV machines the outward movement is limited bv mechanism in the suction box itself, which mechanism is intended to pass the beans along to the cutter, in the form, usually. of

a revolving disk. ln the present invention` it is not necessary to use such mechanism in the suction box, or a cutter distinct trom the box. 0n the contrary in this invention the ,trent ot the box, across which the conveyoi travels, is closed, by a cutter plate, hav ing openings into which the tips ot the beans are drawn by the suction and are cut ott1 by the sharp edges of the openings. These openings may be oit a suitable shape, as tor example round holes, countersunk from the rear to provide cutting edges, or slots having their forward edges beveled.

`Referring now to the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the suction box and cutter plate, with a portion oit the traveling conveyor in front ot the box.

Fig. 2 is a plan view or" the apparatus 1927. Serial No. 209,409.

shown'in Fig. 1, partly in horizontal section and with the addition of a hood which may be used to enclose the conveyor in its travel i past the suction box.

F ig. 3 is a cross section about on line 3-3 ot Fig. 2. I i

Fig.. l is a perspective view of a cutter plate in which the openings are in the form of inclined slots.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front view of a cutter plate having round holes countersunk from the rear to provide cutting edges.

Fig, 6 is a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

As indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 the beans are carried in the open buckets of the conveyor 1t), past the front ot the suction box 11. Devices tor depositing the beans in the'buckets and tor driving the conveyor are well known in the art and hence need not be illustrated or described herein. Suffice it to say that any suitable and convenient vmeans for the purpose may be employed. Likewise anvsuitable means may be usedto create the suction through thesuction box, inthe direction of the arrows. rigs. 2 and 3, as for example an exhaust fan (not shown) connected to a. dra-ft pipe 12 attached to the rear of the suctionbox. The cutter plate 13 is mounted in grooves in the trent ot the suction box for easy removal and lreplacement by 4Vertical movement, and may be held in place by any suitablelocking arrangement, as ttor example a halt-head screw 14. The slots in the plate may beinclined downwardly and forwardlyv (in the directionojl" the conveyors travel) providing similarly inclined cutting bars 15, having their toi-ward edges beveled as shown to provide cutting or shearing edges.

Vhen the beans reach the suction box the powerful draft sucks them into the slots, and

vthe subsequent continued movement ot the conveyor carrying the beans causes their tips, protruding through the slots, to be sheai'ed oft' by the cooperation oit the cutting bars and the advancing rear edge of the bucket in contact with or close to the plate. Il a bean is not drawn into the lirst slot encountered it will be drawn into one or an other farther along, the cutter plate being' for, that purpose made long enough to cover several buckets. i

The length of tlie'tip cut ott depends on the size or degree of taper of the bean and on the width ot the slots in the cutter plate,` that is, the space between the cutter bars.

llo

In order to avoid the waste incident to cutf 1 may be graded as to size, and several cutter,

ting oft' `unnecessarily long -tips the beans plates may be provided, having different spacing of the cutter bars, so that plates of appropriatespaeing maybe used for the Vdfi-f- -ferent bean sizes. The downward and for-V ward slope of the bars not only prevents the beans from riding up on the bars. butalso has "a tendency to cani the. beans downwardly and backwardly thusinsnringthel bllg cuto'fl' as the'bucketadvancesthe other t hand it xinay be inr seine vcases advantageous to have Athe bars slope rearwardlyand upwardly.`

ln that iiI the beanjskride up on1 the bars tionfof-thefair current.

u A, A'shown i11,"Figs. 5. and 6 theJ openingsnnt'o which `the beans Vare drawn agie circu 1ar:openings `of suitable size, `forming cutting lbars` between them, The- In thontter plat-,

cutting` edges are` `roduced byvgiving the holes a reiki-WW@ .nzo,Y asfby 'Simple @onntersinkino'.

If-litiis,desired` `both ends of the beans in the saine ylnachindwitlionlt remov- 'I ing lthe beansandpassingthenithrough the machine a., secondtinie, two, suction boxes.

@non ii'fith snitblo onfo'n Plato; InnfyQbo provided, oneinfadvance ot the` other` on opposite sidesfofthe conveyor, as willy be 'fenflly understood is" liniited to the' specific Vconstruction Vherein illustratedI and-'described but canv be,

enibodied ,in` other` forms without departure,

from its spiritaswdeined by the.tell0Yingwenn; t t 1.`In albeansnipping inachinein coinbinathion, af traveling conveyor havingv open yonddi lonolots for the beans; n, Suction box past which thebeansare carriedby the conv "eyOl,V nnlaf cutter plate onAr the front. of the sjiiction box, hayingA "openings into which thef lare, vdrawn fby the suction, Y said olpenings havino'cntting edges tofshear off,V t i e tipslof asftheytravel. l 2, In a, bean snipping machine-Lin com; blni tion, a travelinor conveyorv aving open Abnelietsfor Vthe beans,` a. suction box t Pes which thobonnsl are Genio@ by tho oonveyor,V and acutter plate'havinglgauging openingsintolwhich the beans areidrawn Y the suction until arrested vby .the taper ofthe beans, said gauging openingshaving; .cnttingJ edges to shean the tips of, the beans lt is` to' be nderstood thatlthe invention ast-he latter Vare carried past by the `con-v buckets, and a combined cutter and gauge Y plate closinof the front of the suction box, provided wi hgaugino apertures to limit the lateral movement of tebeans under the inflnonoo of @leo Snot-ion, Seid npotlnon having cutting edges cooperating with the advancinfr rear edgesof the buckets for shearing-` oflthe tips of the `beans protruding throng ,i saidapertures. w

Y 4+ In n bonn bination, a gauge and; cutter plate having OPQILJlgSQr t0 n.dlhift beans, as. far as, ,their taper Willporlnit, the 'polrtons ofthe plato, between said Aopenings.y being pr ;vi,d,ed,with` cuttingA y Y conveyor moving ,past the pl*f e in` contact t ierewitm to, carry the beans, an `perinit flateral movement thereoninto` the,saidopeninggand,means `for causing su cli` lateral movement of thebeans.` 'Y

"5, Ina een snipping machine, ineoin-` Y binflfion n traveling. conveyor for the' bonne;

a vsuction boxhavi o, atitls, front a plate provided with slotsincl'lned downwardly in @SnipPingl machine, infcon1` Ult:-

the direct-ion 0i travel o the conveyon,the`

townl outline o `forward; edgesfofthe `slots being l`beveled to` Gil A oomb'lneniieo andl Cotton Plate for f bean snippingniachines, hayjn inclined cuttfn here S nood @portino ndnnlt thetps off tho benne 'etwoonlthonn tho downwardly di,-` rected edges Offthebars being beveled, inl Combination lwith Ibeaneconvyng moans, movable pastilles@ e and cotton plntonnl constructedto permit, ongitudinal nioveinent of the beans fritofengagernentllvth the cutter bara@ 17k 7A Snoionl `boxgior been `Snimong Inechlnes, havin jat its rontaconibined gauge ,and critter p ate'vprovided; with beveledged openings to admitthetipsothe beans, and apconduitfettliefrear of theboi: for connec `tion with onction-producing nonno- 84A, suctionbon as, :cescijibed inr claim, 7,

inrwhioh thognuge en ,cutter-'plete in 1to1 movablyvtted in, grocves at; the endslof` the box? forvertical ^r,einoval,Y andA replacement.

9. A, combined, gauge 1 andcutter plate for boonsnppine .InffxohnoSa-f-hnyna openingsbounded at least in paigtbycutting edges and' adapted tor adinitonly theftipsn ot the beans,` il

' in-` oonibnnton, with bonn-Conveying Ineens inovablepast'thegange and critterr pla,te,'said. Y

bean-conveyingfineans being adaptedutozpermit longitudinal inoveinent of the beans into y said openings in the plate. t 1

si gnature.

In .testimony wheneof Lhereto affix i 

